Review of The Phantom Taniwha
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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Phantom Taniwha" by John Brigham.]
John Brigham’s first novella, The Phantom Taniwha, is a quick-read mystery/suspense story about self-reflection, living the life we are given, and facing fears. The main character, Kent Young, is a middle-aged dad whose mundane life and past traumas have drowned his care-free former surfer self. This story follows him on a trip to meet some old friends post-seperation as he tries to find his old spark and win back his wife, but his weekend trip down to his old haunt doesn’t go as expected.
The Phantom Taniwha packs a big impact in a small package. Well-written imagery sets the tone and implies a backstory that is easy to follow and visualize. I was surprised at how well-rounded the story was for the length of the book. It flowed, was fast-paced but didn’t feel too rushed, and gave me a feel for the complexities of the characters that is rare to find in novellas.
There were really only two things I felt weren’t great about this book that negatively affected my rating. Firstly, the editing could use some polishing. The number of errors I found requires a less-than-perfect rating. Secondly, the main relationship conflict felt too rushed. For what seems to be a complex, long-standing breakdown of a relationship, it seemed far too easily resolved to be realistic. While the rest of the story was well paced even in so few pages, this felt like it was thrown in on a deadline to wrap it up before it naturally fit for the characters.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. The story was engaging with bits of suspense, action, romance, humour, and self-reflection sprinkled throughout. I would recommend this book to others looking for something quick to read that still pulls you in and makes you feel something. It is a particularly relateable read for anyone feeling like they’ve lost themselves somewhere along the way. My rating is a 4 out of 5 for the reasons stated above.
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The Phantom Taniwha
View: on Bookshelves |
John Brigham’s first novella, The Phantom Taniwha, is a quick-read mystery/suspense story about self-reflection, living the life we are given, and facing fears. The main character, Kent Young, is a middle-aged dad whose mundane life and past traumas have drowned his care-free former surfer self. This story follows him on a trip to meet some old friends post-seperation as he tries to find his old spark and win back his wife, but his weekend trip down to his old haunt doesn’t go as expected.
The Phantom Taniwha packs a big impact in a small package. Well-written imagery sets the tone and implies a backstory that is easy to follow and visualize. I was surprised at how well-rounded the story was for the length of the book. It flowed, was fast-paced but didn’t feel too rushed, and gave me a feel for the complexities of the characters that is rare to find in novellas.
There were really only two things I felt weren’t great about this book that negatively affected my rating. Firstly, the editing could use some polishing. The number of errors I found requires a less-than-perfect rating. Secondly, the main relationship conflict felt too rushed. For what seems to be a complex, long-standing breakdown of a relationship, it seemed far too easily resolved to be realistic. While the rest of the story was well paced even in so few pages, this felt like it was thrown in on a deadline to wrap it up before it naturally fit for the characters.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. The story was engaging with bits of suspense, action, romance, humour, and self-reflection sprinkled throughout. I would recommend this book to others looking for something quick to read that still pulls you in and makes you feel something. It is a particularly relateable read for anyone feeling like they’ve lost themselves somewhere along the way. My rating is a 4 out of 5 for the reasons stated above.
******
The Phantom Taniwha
View: on Bookshelves |
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